Motocycle.



L. H. DYER.

MOTOCYOLE.

APPLIOATION'HLBD JUNE 18, 1909.

985,51 7. Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

Jiffy To all whom it may comem:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LEONARD HUNTB-Ess DYE-n, oF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT.

MoTocYoLn,

Specicatlon of Letters Patent. P2113'e11i3o1u1 Fb. 28, 191.

original applicativa inea september 22, 1897,' serial No. 'fs-52,532. Divided and this application sled :une

, 1s, 190e. seran No. 502,871.

Be it known that LLEONARD HUNTnEss .'Drnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenwich, in the county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut,r have invented certain new .and useful Improvements in' Motocycles; and I do hereby vdeelare^t1 following to be a full, clear, and exact de-y scription of the invention', which will enable othermskilled'in the art to which it'apper-l tains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to varlous new and useful improvements in motocycles or auto i mobile vehicles, and more particularly it relates to means Vfor controlling the speed of such vehicles, and is a division of an application for patent filed by me September Q2, 1897, Serial No. 652,532.`

The invention comprises a suitable propelling motor or engine carried on the ve h icle; with suitable Gearing interposed between said 'motor and the vehicle shaft by which different speeds may be secured; an electric generator operated by said motor; the severa] sets of gears being provided with electrically operated clutches; and suitableL electric controlling mechanism by' which the current from the generator will be supplied successively to the said clutches, whereby the different variatins Ain speed may be obtained. Preferably the motor -or engine, which is employed is an' explosive engine, and 'with such a motor the elect-ricygenerator will also be used for igniting the charge.

B y--means of my present improvement the speed 'oftmotocycles may be better regulated than with any of the mechanically operatbd devices with which I am familiar, and at. the 'same time the changes inispeed will be effected more easily and by means of lighter, simpler and more comp ct mechanism.

In order that my in ention may be bet-` ter understood, attention `is directed to the accompanying drawings 'forming a part of `this specification, and 1n which- Y Figure 1 is a plan view of the operating engine or motor and the intermediate gears,

'- and Fig. 42in an enlarged section il1ustratl type, having a'driviug anle 4; 7 represents double cylinder4 engine for the purpose, owing to itsli htness. simplicity and compactness, it wil be understood that any other improved form of motor may be made use of.l Vhen a `double cylinder explosive engine is use'd, its

crank 8I may be formed integral with the main driving shaft 9, the latter being carried in suitable bearings on the vehicle. The said shaft 9'is provided with a plurality of gears 10, 11, 12, and 13 thereon, which in this instance will allow for four speedsA forward and with a single gear 14, allowing for a ysingle sneed backward.

Interposed between the gears 10` 11. 12, 13 and 14, and the shaft 9, arefeIect-ric clutches 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 res ctively, which are adapted to be successive y operated to allow the carriage tobc driven forward at the desired speedor to allow the same to beproelectric clutch maybe used, and it is possible to employ either jaw clutches or friction clutches. I prefer,however, to make luse of electric, friction clutches, since such clutches allow for considerable slip and thereby re-A pelled backward. Any' suitable form of y lieve the engine and driving mechanism of the strains which would' be 4evperienced if jayv clutches were used, and at the same time 'making the changes in speed comparatively gradual.

I'n the drawings I illustrate a convenient- `form' of electric friction clutch which may be -used .with my present invention, and in order that' this ,clutch may be better understood, -attentionis 'particularly directed to Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. The friction clutch illustrated in this view comprises essentially1 a magnetic member 20, and an armature member 21, 'the former being. preferably keyed directly to the shaft 9, and the latter being carried by the several gears which are capable of longitudinal movement on said shaft, thereb doing away with the necessity oflreys for t e sliding members In the case of the gear 13, which is larger than the clutch, it is possible to carry the armature member directly upon one face 'of `said gear as shown in Fig, 2, the saidarmaturc member being suitably secured in place, but with the other gears which are smaller than the clutch, it is desirable to carry the armature member upon the sleeve 23, cast integral with each gear.

The magnetic member 20. of each electric friction clutch comprises a trough shaped circular casting, having tapered pole pieces or rims 2,4.2'5, the' coil 26 being seated bel ture member 21 1s provided withfpockcts 27, 27, Withlwhich the pole pieces of the magv netic member are adapted to engage, said armature member beingalso provided.l with 'l5 a large 'overhanging rim 28 with which the outer face of the magnet-ic member may engage to form an increased frictional surface as will be understood. The" magnetic mem- .berof each clutch is preferably keyed to a suitable spider 29, which in turn is keyed to the shaft 9, so Aas to hold the magneticmem- .berief eadh clutch rigidly in position. The H armature member of each clutch, however, ,is 4afla'l'ited to be moved toward and awa v 2 5 fromthe magnetic member, the several I gearsjbeing for this purpose loosely mountl ed upon theshaft 9, whereby the necessity` 1' of employing sliding keys is donc away vvitl-i`., l The two members of each clutch are preferably normally separated by'means of a spring 30, but ifvdesired the said springs may be dispensed With. The'connectio'ns to each coil 26 is effected fby insulated wires ,embedded in a slot 31, cut in the shaft 9 and leading to insulated contact rings 31, one of said rings being. therefore used l for .each clutch! The return or ground connection from each coil may be carried directly to the shaft 9, as will be understood.

'40 lIn the particular example l'of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the gears 10, 11, 12 and 13, mesh with gears 32, 33, 34 and 35 respectively, keyed to the countershaft 36 mounted in suitable bearings, the

sizes of the several pairs of gears being proportioned to effect the desired speed of the driving axle 4. Power is communicated from thecountershaft 36 to said driving axle through a pinion 37, keyed tosaid countershaftand meshingwith a gear 38 keyed to said driving'axle. Backward movement of the driving aigle 4 is effected in this particular instance by providing a 'second countershaft 39,'in which is keyed a gear 40,

with which the gear 14 engages, said gear 4() driving a pinion 41, meshing with a larger gear 42 on the countershaft 36, whereby a .very slow backward speed .Will be obtained.

, In orderv to operate the severa-l clutches, I

provide an electric generator 43 of any suitabllt type, which may be driven by a belt 44 from' a pulley 45 on the shaft 9, or in any other suitable Way. The said motor or cngine being an explosive engine, the said electric generator is utilized for igniting the tween said'pole pieces as shown. The. armal charge by connecting the generator electrically Wit-h the engine, as will be understood,

through the Wires a. The usual sparking coil b is shown in the circuit a. The current re nired to explode the charge in the engine wil be taken intermittently from the generator. This absorption of current not being continuons, the grip of the magnetic clutches will not 'be affected.

In order that the current produced by the generator43 may be controlled, any suitable switch device maybe used,` 'that shown in Fig. 1 being merely illustrative of many .forms of such devices. 'Saidswitch 'comelectric clutches.

[t will be seen that as the switches 46, 46, 46h, 46c and 46d are moved intol engagement one or the other of the friction clutches will be energized so as to positively drive one or Vthe other of the gears 10. 11, 12, 13 or 14, by which the desired speed may be obtained, or backward moveinent of the vehicle effected. f

The operation of the specific form of my inventionA illustrated in the drawin is as follows: The switches 46, 46?, 46h, 46 and 46dbeing cut out, no current will pass to any of the clutches and thereforethe parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 2, the

.actuated so aste independently energize the .magnetic members of the several clutches A turning withv said shaft but not engaging any of the armature members. The engine or motor will therefore be4 entirel disconnected from the driving axle, and said motor or engine is then started in the usual way. lYith the, explosive engine a primaryl or storage battery is preferably employed for starting the same, as is now common when such explosive engines are rovided With electric generators operated. fp Then theexplosive engine has been started, the primary or secondary battery is cut out and the charger therefor is ignited frm'the dynamo or other generator 43. When it is desired to start the carriage forward, the first switch 46 is closed. Current will therefore flow from the generator to the switch, thence to the coil of the clutch for the gea-r 10 and is grounded into the shaft 9 which will be in circuit with the other brush of. the dynamo. The passage of current through vthe coil of the .clutch for the gear 10 willenergize the magnetic member thereof and attract its armature member, moving said armature member and the gear llongitudinallyon the shaft 9. As soon as the rom the fly wheel.

friction surfaces are in engagement, the gear 10 will be rotated'by the. shaft 9, and will communicate its movement to the gear 32 to drive the countershaft 36 from which the s driving axle 4L will be driven through the pinion 3T and gear 38. In starting up from rest to the speedeected by the particular gears which are now beingv considered, there will be some slip between the friction surfaces so that the acceleration will be gradual and at the same the strain upon the driv.

ing axle and the gears'ivill be reduced. If a higher speed is desired, the switch 46 is closed, thereby directing the current into the clutch for the gear 1l, and demagnetizing the clutch for the gear 10. It will therefore, be seen that by means of my present invention, changes in speed are effected by closing 'the switch connected to the particular circuit desired and that reverse movement of the vehicle will be effected by closing the switch which controls the clutch for the reverse gears.

jf, In accordance withV the provisions of the '1 patent statutes, I have described the prin#v of my invention, together lwith thrill,v

Aapparatus which I now consider to representl jthe -best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus 'shown 'is merely illustrative and that the inention can be carried out in other ways. w

Having now described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secureby Let ters Patent is:

l. In combination withnn enofine of the internal combustion type, of an electric generator and a movement transmitting mechaelectric clutch for actuating said gearing to transmit powerv from the-driving axle, a common source of electricity for igniting the charge' of the explosive engine and foreperating said'elect-ric clutch, and means for controlling the current to said clutch, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 16th day of June, 1909. 'l

LEONARD HUNTRESS DYER. Witnesses:

JOHNL. Lo'rson,

P. T.Y WARD.

foste; of this'pateat nay be obtained for ve cents nach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

